Walmart workers to strike, chain dismisses claims

Saturday

Nov 17, 2012 at 6:00 AM

Making Change at Walmart, an organization dedicated to improving work conditions for employees, has announced that employees across the United States will strike in the days surrounding Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Carmen Bourlon

Making Change at Walmart, an organization dedicated to improving work conditions for employees, has announced that employees across the United States will strike in the days surrounding Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Oklahoma is included in the states that will strike, however officials Friday could not confirm whether or not this would include the local Walmarts in Shawnee and Seminole.

Workers in multiple California stores have already begun walking off the job, due to complaints about the treatment of workers.

Strikes are scheduled to follow in Mississippi, Louisana, and Minnesota, as well many other cities including Dallas, Washington D.C., Miami, Fla., and Los Angeles.

Officials with Making Change at Walmart are claiming the multi-million dollar chain underpays their workers, and in light of the Affordable Care Act, is raising their health insurance by up to 36 percent.

Walmart officials issued a statement saying they are prepared for Black Friday and will have more than a million associates working that day.

The statement dismissed the claims, and said 1.3 million of their associates had “no interest in letting a handful of people…purport to represent them.”